EWWW What Happened??
- Avra Amar Filion
- Nov 11, 2025
- 12 min read
This is not just a regular blog post. If you have stumbled upon this blog, and you are feeling any disappointment in our company due to our current changes, please, with all of my heart I ask you to read this full blog, even with it being lengthy. This post comes with a conviction and a passionate belief.
When my parents (Alma & Terry Filion) first started Bioderma, I watched them stand by two philosophies "Skin care is health care" "Nothing harmful should ever be in the products even if it means decreased sale. We always need to put our clients well-being before profit." I saw our company name change over the years from Homepathica, Holistica Skin Care, Holistic Skin Care but even if the name of the company changed that moral obligation we felt to provide healthy and safe cosmetics with outstanding results never changed.
So I write this post because I have one client who constantly states "Bioderma products were the best." often comparing the products we make today to the formulas from 35 years ago. As the chemist, I find this very frustrating and insulting because no cosmetic company has the exact same formulas that they had from 30 years ago due to the fact that the suppliers go out of business, methods of preparation change, suppliers change their raw materials and how they are processed, or even the fact that Health Canada might deem an ingredient unsafe due to updated research. Here is the thing, mega companies don't have clients putting them down, yelling at them, insulting them when they make changes or discontinue a product... However Zanqara appears to not get the same understanding or kindness when we are forced to makes changes. Our current changes are very drastic.
WHEN I SAY DRASTIC I MEAN "DRASTIC".. as one client referred to it "UNACCEPTABLE"..
So before explain this change, let me ask you the following questions...
Do you care about your health?
Are you taking vitamins to enhance your health?
Are upset about all the chemicals that are sprayed on your food or dangerous ingredients lurking in the food you eat?
Is what you eat important to you?
Do you care about the environment?
Do you like it when people lie to you?
Do you like being deceived?
Do support animal testing?
Of course you care about what you put on your body. True well-being is all about harmony, both internally and externally. You want to give your skin the absolute best care, helping it feel balanced, vibrant, and resilient against everyday environmental stressors while minimizing the appearance of premature aging, dryness, or excess oil.
You are reading this because you prioritize mindful living. Many of our clients enrich their daily routines with vitamins, minerals, and superfoods to nourish their bodies from the inside out. They know that consistent, high-quality care is the secret to maintaining a radiant, healthy-looking complexion.
When I speak with our clients and wholesale partners, we always find ourselves sharing the same core values. I constantly hear things like:
"I focus on clean, whole foods."
"I choose natural and organic ingredients whenever possible."
"I actively avoid harsh additives and long-term exposure to synthetic materials."
"I check the ingredient label on absolutely everything before I buy it."
Even if you aren't ultra-picky, you still care deeply about what interacts with your body. You also want to do good—by yourself and by the environment. We all understand the impact that harsh ingredients can have on our personal wellness and our planet. That is why choosing conscious, thoughtfully formulated personal care isn't just a preference—it’s a reflection of how much you value your total well-being.
All the things we mentioned above makes you a powerful free thinker; an individual that has weighed the pros and cons of their daily actions and are convicted enough to make certain decisions to achieve ultimate goals. That is why you also feel anger when labels are not accurate on food, or when your phone provider promised one thing but your next bill is not what was promised. As Stacey from The Little Black Book said "Omission is betrayal".. it is one of the most underhanded, intentional and calculated forms of lying. You don't want to be lied too or deceived. You have every right to demand transparency and truth from companies, government, family, friends, co-workers, church and even from yourself.
Lastly, let’s talk about animal welfare. There is no question that if you are reading this, you are a staunch believer in preserving the innocence and well-being of all living creatures—including rats, reptiles, and marine life. You absolutely do not support testing that results in suffering.
Now that we have established the high moral principles you cherish, we have to look at a challenging reality in the global beauty market. The world of cosmetics can often feel like a landscape of omissions, where what is left off the story matters just as much as what is included.
In recent years, the mainstream global supply chain has leaned heavily on complex processing for raw materials, extracts, conventional fragrance oils, and colorants. It can become a cycle of hidden details: standard manufacturers make processing adjustments to raw materials, and if a brand isn't exceptionally diligent, those undisclosed processing aids end up in the final product.
That is exactly why Zanqara chooses a completely different path. We formulate our products using fresh ingredients, some of which we proudly cultivate on our very own farms. We actively opt out of mass-produced commercial extracts that rely on heavy pigmentation, aggressive synthetic preservatives, or artificial deodorizers.
Making these uncompromising choices has required what some might call "drastic" shifts in our production methods. It isn't the easiest or most profitable route, and standing apart from conventional industry norms certainly comes with its challenges and pushback from the status quo. But the only outcome we care about is protecting the integrity of your personal care routine. We refuse to compromise on our brand philosophy or our promise to you, even if it means stepping away from the mass-market formulas that prioritize the bottom line over true ingredient transparency.
Health Canada is continuously updating its Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist to restrict or prohibit ingredients, and we always advise consumers to regularly review these updates.
For years, international labeling laws allowed complex scent mixtures to be listed simply as "fragrance" or "parfum" to protect proprietary trade secrets. However, this made it incredibly difficult for individuals with sensitive skin to know exactly what they were applying. Now, aligning with progressive European Union standards, Health Canada is introducing major labeling updates to mandate the individual disclosure of specific fragrance allergens.
As officially stated by Health Canada:
"Disclosure of certain fragrance allergens
The Cosmetic Regulations allow the use of the term "parfum" at the end of the list of ingredients to indicate that a fragrance ingredient, or a fragrance mixture is present in the cosmetic. Disclosure of all ingredients of a fragrance mixture used in a cosmetic could result in a product label that is hundreds of ingredients long and impractical with respect to legibility. Globally, fragrance ingredients and mixtures are considered proprietary information. There are no jurisdictions that require the entire fragrance composition of a cosmetic on the labels.
For a number of individuals, certain fragrance ingredients can cause allergic skin reactions when they come in contact with their skin. The Cosmetic Regulations were amended to require that when certain allergens are found in a cosmetic product above a certain amount, they need to be listed individually in the list of ingredients, outside of the term "parfum". This allows consumers to identify ingredients to which they maybe allergic or sensitive to, or wish to avoid, which will help people in Canada make informed decision regarding the products they purchase and use.
Canada's new requirements will align with the European Union with respect to the disclosure of fragrance allergens within the list of ingredients on cosmetic labels and will also maintain consistency with any future changes to the list of fragrance allergens in the E.U., ensuring future alignment. Starting on April 12, 2026, there will be 24 fragrance allergens that must be included in the list of ingredients on the cosmetic label, when present in the formulation at a concentration above 0.001% in leave-on products or above 0.01% in rinse-off products. This list will be expanded to 81 fragrance allergens for new cosmetics starting August 1, 2026. Existing products will have to disclose the expanded list of fragrance allergens on their labels, when present in the formulation above the specified threshold as of August 1, 2028."
Let’s put that into perspective. Your average face cream comes in a 30ml jar. A disclosure threshold of 0.001% means that even if an aromatic compound makes up just a fraction of a single drop—the equivalent weight of a single poppy seed—it must now be legally disclosed.
For individuals with highly sensitive skin, even that microscopic amount can be the hidden culprit behind stubborn skin irritation, redness, dryness, and unexpected flare-ups.
Because these complex aromatic compounds can accumulate in your daily routine from your face wash to your lotion, they constantly challenge sensitive skin. This is exactly why Zanqara bypasses these processed, multi-component synthetic fragrances entirely. By using whole, fresh, farm-grown ingredients, we ensure your skin never has to process those hidden aromatic irritants.
BUT WAIT.... my math is all wrong. Because companies NEED to disclose if such allergens are in the product above concentrations of 0.001% or more. What percentage is actually in your product?
Typical Concentration Ranges
Product Type | Typical Fragrance Percentage | Notes |
Facial Creams & Lotions (Leave-on) | 0.1% - 1% | These products use very low concentrations because they are applied to sensitive facial skin and left on for extended periods. |
Body Lotions & Creams (Leave-on) | 1% - 3% | A slightly higher concentration is generally safe for the less sensitive skin on the body. |
Body Washes & Shampoos (Rinse-off) | 1% - 3% (up to 4%) | Higher concentrations are used in wash-off products to ensure a pleasant scent remains after rinsing, as the product has limited contact time with the skin. |
Perfumes/Fine Fragrances | 10% - 30% | These are not skincare products but fine fragrances designed for scent longevity, with high alcohol content as a primary solvent. |
Those percentages represent the conservative, standard guidelines. If we look at a basic facial cream using just a 0.1% fragrance concentration as our starting point, that amount is already 100 times higher than Health Canada's 0.001% mandatory disclosure threshold.
But the gap becomes even wider when we look at body care. Many global fragrance manufacturers actually recommend usage rates anywhere from 3.25% up to 17% for specific leave-on body lotion formulas depending on the desired scent strength.
Let's look at the math on a standard 200ml bottle of body lotion: if a brand uses a 10% fragrance concentration, that means a staggering 20ml (or roughly 20 grams) of that bottle consists entirely of complex, multi-component fragrance mixtures.
When you scale that up, you aren't just dealing with a single poppy seed of potential irritants anymore—you are applying a massive concentration of hidden aromatic compounds to your skin daily.
Keep Keep in mind that the upcoming regulations require companies to explicitly disclose these individual compounds if they hit just 0.001% of the formula. As we established, that baseline is a microscopic amount—yet it is enough to trigger a reaction in sensitized individuals.
But because conventional manufacturers formulate at much higher percentages to ensure a long-lasting scent, a standard jar can easily contain 3 grams of fragrance oil. That means the actual concentration can be up to 10,000 times higher than the legal disclosure baseline.
When your skin absorbs that intense, concentrated volume of hidden aromatic compounds day after day, it shouldn't come as a surprise when your skin reacts. This overwhelming ingredient load is often the hidden culprit behind stubborn blemishes that won't clear up, localized skin sensitivities, unexpected redness, and persistent irritation that disrupts your complexion.
Many cosmetic companies know that people are becoming weary of synthetic fragrances and the potential issues associated with them, so they market themselves as "Natural" and turn to essential oils.
Essential oils can absolutely be wonderful when handled expertly—for example, we proudly use pure Tea Tree Oil in our Zanqara Blemex line. HOWEVER, natural does not automatically mean gentle. Many individuals are highly sensitive to concentrated botanical oils. If they are not sourced carefully or diluted properly, they can have a severe impact on your skin barrier and your overall complexion. As industry safety data highlights:
"High concentrations of fragrance oils, even natural essential oils, can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions, especially for individuals with sensitive skin. Formulators prioritize safety by using low, effective concentrations." Google AI
"Problems posed by essential oils. The different recipes propose the addition of one or more essential oils. Among the different recipes for facial care products, the difference in the number of different essential oils is not significant (p=0.635; Figure 9). On the contrary, there is a significant difference (p=0.0026) between the recipes for facial care and body care products (Figure 10).
One of the major issues that conventional skincare recipes pose is the lack of knowledge about how complex essential oils interact with each other. The use of raw essential oils does not eliminate the risk of adverse effects. In fact, many identified essential oils can cause contact allergies, localized irritation, or even photosensitization phenomena—which is a well-known characteristic of citrus essential oils.
Many people assume that because essential oils are natural, they are automatically harmless in any concentration. However, raw or improperly diluted essential oils can challenge the skin barrier and cause localized contact rashes. This is particularly true for sensitive skin types, where concentrated botanical oils can interact negatively if not precisely balanced.
Because children and individuals with delicate complexions are far more susceptible to topical irritation, expert formulation is vital. This is exactly why Zanqara prioritizes meticulous ingredient balancing. In lines like our Blemex range, we use precisely calculated, low, effective concentrations of pure botanicals like Tea Tree Oil—ensuring your skin receives maximum beneficial nourishment without the risk of unwanted surface irritation.
We always encourage our clients to dedicate time to researching cosmetic ingredients, fragrances, and essential oils before choosing what to apply to their skin. Knowledge is power.
Many people treat essential oils as completely harmless simply because they are natural. However, concentrated plant extracts are incredibly complex and biologically active. When poorly formulated or overused, raw essential oils can overwhelm the skin, stress delicate topical systems, and cause intense surface irritation.
That is why true, mindful personal care requires expert formulation—not just throwing ingredients together, but balancing them perfectly to respect your skin barrier.
Here is a reality we must all consider: we apply personal care products multiple times a day, often mixing ingredients like a mixologist. You might mix a day cream from one company with a cleanser from another, a setting spray from a third, and color cosmetics from entirely different brands—all uniquely scented, pigmented, and layered with complex chemical processing aids.
While these products are legally approved for individual use, no one has tested how these massive, multi-brand chemical combinations interact on your unique face. You become the unintended test subject for complex ingredient layering, and your skin often pays the price through unexpected breakouts, chronic redness, and a severely compromised skin barrier.
The mass-market industry understands all too well that the right scent drives a fast sale. But when those processed shortcuts leave your skin irritated, those hidden compounds simply wash down the drain, adding unnecessary chemical loads to our local environments. That is why Zanqara stands firmly against this cycle. We design our farm-to-face routines to work in perfect, transparent harmony—respecting both your skin barrier and the planet.
I will use a family example. I adore my darling mother, but she manages diabetes. She always wants carbs and pastries, and she has playfully ordained me as the household "dictator" because I won't let her indulge in those treats. I love my mommy so much that I won't allow her to compromise her wellness for a moment's pleasure. To me, her long-term well-being is infinitely more important than a fleeting, falsely induced serotonin rise.
A deliciously scented, synthetically perfumed skincare product produces that exact same instant serotonin spike as a scrumptious red velvet cupcake.
You, however, are part of the Zanqara family—and that means your skin's health matters more to us than a fast sale. That is why all of our products feature the true smell and true color of the combined fresh ingredients. We completely refuse to use chemical deodorizers to mask natural aromas, because we believe those unnecessary processing additives have no place on a delicate skin barrier. Nope... with Zanqara, you get the real deal.
We hope our clients see that we genuinely care for their skin's future. Our formulas might smell raw and earthy in comparison to the heavily fragranced, highly stylized options sold by mass-market commercial businesses. But we firmly believe you deserve personal care that focuses on skin integrity rather than masking ingredients with synthetic perfumes. You deserve a clear complexion, a beautifully supported skin barrier, and a mindful beauty routine that leaves you feeling truly nourished.
I want to end with one quote.
"To live without self-respect is to lie awake some night, beyond the reach of warm milk, phenobarbital, and the sleeping hand on the coverlet, counting up the sins of commission and omission, the trusts betrayed, the promises subtly broken, the gifts irrevocably wasted through sloth or cowardice or carelessness. However long we postpone it, we eventually lie down alone in that notoriously uncomfortable bed, the one we make ourselves. Whether or not we sleep in it depends, of course , on whether or not we respect ourselves.”
--Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Many companies break promises, they omit the truth and betray your trust, and waste the gift to be of service to you and your goal of a visibly healthier/younger you.. But the self respect to know you deserve better than aromatic narcissism will allow you to sleep in the bed of peace, knowing you are preserving your tomorrow.
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